


Heart Skipped A Beat

by Lady_Phenyx



Series: Whumptober 2019 [17]
Category: Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson, 楽しいムーミン一家 | Moomin (Anime 1990)
Genre: Background Springtime Trio, Don't copy to another site, Gen, ask to tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 19:30:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21021068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Phenyx/pseuds/Lady_Phenyx
Summary: When a prank gone wrong puts Snufkin and the Fillyjonk children in danger, Moominmamma finds strength she didn't know she had.Whumptober Day 13: Adrenaline





	Heart Skipped A Beat

Around Moomin Valley, the Moomins were well known. Moominpappa with his memoirs, Moomin with his adventures, Moominmamma with her gentleness and healing.

But those were on the surface. A lot of people were comfortable keeping things on the surface level, never seeing what lay beneath.

But sometimes, a person can surprise even themselves.

\---XXX---

Sniff came bursting into Moomin House, startling everyone inside and causing more than one lady to spill her tea.

“Sniff, what ever is the matter?” Moominmamma asked as Sniff gasped for air.

“It's Moomin and Snufkin!” Sniff cried. “And Snorkmaiden and Little My! And the little Fillyjonks! Stinky set some kind of prank and it backfired and there was an explosion and the whole building came down and now they're trapped!” Sniff danced in place as he yelled out his news. “It might be worse by now! And Snufkin's hurt!”

Mrs. Fillyjonk screamed, dropping her tea, and one of the women caught the teapot just before it could fall off the table as Moominmamma dashed away from the table, snatching up the first aid kit and racing out the door after Sniff, Mrs. Fillyjonk stumbling after.

Moominpappa had been napping in the hammock and was tumbled out of it by Sniff's passing as he flew into Moomin House. He was stumbling to his feet as Sniff, his wife, and Mrs. Fillyjonk ran past, and and took off after them, with the ladies of the tea party spilling out of Moomin House to follow.

They four flew through the forest, leaving many of the ladies far behind and trying vainly to catch up.

\---XXX---

Moominmamma skidded to a halt and stared in disbelief.

Whatever it had been before, it was a pile of shredded wood and rock now, spears of wood jutting towards the sky and rocks tumbling out far from the pile.

Her son was fighting to hold up a beam of wood too big for him, trembling with effort.

“Mamma!” Moomin cried as he caught sight of them, his voice strained. “I can't hold it up much longer!”

Moominmamma glanced under and her heart stopped.

Snufkin looked back at her, his hat gone and blood dripping down his face, grimacing with pain.

He was braced on hands and knees, trembling, wood and stone piled on his back, held up by the large piece Moomin was holding up, that Snufkin was also holding up as best he could, balanced on his back.

The opening was small, so very small, yet he might still have been able to crawl out, except...she could just make out the three fillyjonk children, huddled under Snufkin, crying and terrified.

The fillyjonk children, that Snufkin was shielding with his own body, and they couldn't crawl out – there wasn't enough space even for the smallest, not with Snufkin there as well. There wasn't space to crawl between his body and into the opening.

But if he hadn't been there, if Snufkin's strength gave out...

As if her thought had caused it, Snufkin's arm buckled, the weight overhead groaning ominously. He gritted his teeth and forced himself back up, arms shaking and eyes clenched shut as the fillyjonk children cried louder.

Moominmamma stopped thinking.

Her son was under there, her son was hurting, and the wood was in her paws and moving. Splinters bit into her paws, but it moved, and so did everything piled on top of it as she heaved it up as if it had weighed less than a feather.

And a second later, felt Mrs. Fillyjonk beside her, helping to hold it up.

She could hear Snufkin, urging the children out with cries of “Hurry, hurry!”

Moominpappa reached in for them, pulling them out as quickly as he could grasp them and pulling them through the hole and away.

As soon as they were clear Moomin reached in and grabbed Snufkin's wrist, hauling him out bodily in a singly forceful jerk.

Moomin tumbled backward with the force of his pull, yanking Snufkin with him, the two of them rolling over the grass a few times until they landed, Snufkin sprawled across Moomin and too still, so very still.

Moominmamma and Mrs. Fillyjonk let the wood fall, the sound of it crashing echoing across the valley, crushing everything underneath as they rushed to their children.

Snufkin managed a weak smile as Moominmamma knelt next to him. “I'm okay,” he said, small and faint.

“No, you're not,” Moominmamma said firmly as she fussed. Nearby, Mrs. Fillyjonk fussed over her own children, who were all right apart from a few scratches and a nasty fright.

Moominmamma wiped the blood from Snufkin's face gently, helping Moomin to get him upright. Snufkin leaned against Moomin gratefully, and Snorkmaiden hurried up, carrying water and Snufkin's hat.

She was dusty, but otherwise unharmed, as was Little My, who was yelling at Stinky, who had tried to slip away but been caught by a furious Little My.

“That was amazing!” she said, kneeling next to Snufkin. She started to hand him the cup, saw the way his hands were shaking, the scratches that covered them, and held it for him to drink from. There was a brief battle of glares before Snufkin huffed softly and drank, letting Snorkmaiden hold the cup.

Meanwhile, Moominmamma checked over his scratched and bruised legs, and he let her. Snorkmaiden started talking again once she'd taken the cup away from Snufkin, who was starting to shake with aftershocks.

“How did you lift that? It weighed so much!” Snorkmaiden asked in awe.

Moominmamma colored faintly and focused on Snufkin. “Sometimes mothers will do just about anything when their children are in danger,” Snufkin said quietly.

Moominmamma looked up, meeting his eyes, and the question in her eyes met the one in his, and each found the same answer.

She cupped her paw around the back of his head, leaning forward slowly to nuzzle his hair. “It looks like the cut on your head is the worst,” she said, brushing dirt from his cheek. “But you're going to be very sore tomorrow. And for quite a while after, I wouldn't be surprised.”

Snufkin managed another weak smile. “Worth it.”

There was a quiet cough, and they all looked up as Mrs. Fillyjonk's shadow fell over them. Her children were clutching at her dress, looking at Snufkin with stars in their eyes.

“My children told me what you did,” she said, much more subdued than usual. “I...thank you, Snufkin. Thanks aren't enough for what you've done today.”

Snufkin managed a better smile. “I could hardly do anything else.”

Mrs. Fillyjonk shook her head. “My children are still alive thanks to you. I won't forget that. Come along, children, I want to see to those cuts.”

She herded her children off, much more gently than usual, still visibly shaken by the near catastrophe.

“We should go home, too,” Moominmamma said gently. “We can help clean this up tomorrow. I want a look at your back, Snufkin. You're going to be bruised at the very least, but it's sure to be painful.”

She hesitated a moment, then picked up the startled Snufkin. He started to protest before wincing and falling silent.

He must have finally started to ache after what he'd been put through, and it must have been bad for him to be silent, Moominmamma thought, and she started off for Moomin House.

\---XXX---

Moominmamma set Snufkin down on the sofa, and he caught her paw as she pulled back.

“Your paws!” he exclaimed. Moomin, Moominpappa, and Snorkmaiden rushed over, as they were just entering the house, while Moominmamma held up her free paw to look at it.

There were a few little spots of blood, and splinters all over.

“Oh, dear,” she said. “I think most of them are caught in my fur. I barely feel it.”

“Tweezers, Moomin, we need...there, thank you,” Moominpappa said as Moomin rushed over with the tweezers.

Snufkin took the second pair, and he and Moominpappa quietly got to work on Moominmamma's paws, ignoring her gentle protest that she could take care of it herself.

Most of them were in her fur, just as she'd said, only a few making it through to the skin, but the two were as careful as if each were hurting her.

Snufkin had to pass to tweezers to Snorkmaiden after a few minutes as his hands started to shake, from coming down off the adrenaline and the strain he'd asked of his body.

Moomin came in with tea soon after, and Moominmamma was urged into a chair as well.

She looked down at her own shaking paws, the realization of how close she'd come to disaster and the adrenaline surge finally ebbing making them shudder so she had difficulty holding her cup.

Still...she looked over to where Snorkmaiden was fussing over Moomin and Snufkin, and Moomin over Snufkin, and could only feel grateful they'd gotten there in time.

\---XXX---

It took less persuasion than usual once Moomin got out the puppy eyes to get Snufkin to stay overnight. Barely any at all, once the aches set in and Moominmamma's pain tea started to work.

He was glad he did the next morning, as, as Moominmamma had predicted, he was sore and stiff. Painful enough he could barely get out of bed and found himself tucked right back in it by Moominmamma, with gentle admonishment to stay there unless he absolutely had to get up, along with her pain tea and hot rice packs to ease the pain.

Moominmamma went with the others to clean up the wreckage, in case something else should happen. She didn't like leaving Snufkin this once, but he was more than capable of taking care of himself and of pushing himself into leaving before his body was ready if she hovered too much.

At the site, she stopped and stared in disbelief as a crew of five men lifted the wood she had hefted yesterday with a great deal of strain and noise.

There were cheers as they were spotted, and people coming up to shake her hand and inquire after Snufkin and Moomin.

In time, this would be just another story of Moomin Valley, but for now, Moomin, Moominmamma, and Snufkin were the heroes of the valley.


End file.
